The discussion below is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.
The invention relates to a device for non-surgical cold treatment of disorders, comprising a container containing a refrigerant and having an outlet for the refrigerant and a valve communicating with the outlet, and an applicator mounted or mountable to the container, said applicator having an outer wall and forming a chamber at least when connected to the container.
Such devices are known from the prior art but most of them have not yet led to a successful use in practice. The devices that have reached commercial stage, which are mainly meant for the treatment of warts, are all open systems in which the refrigerant is supplied to the site to be treated. The refrigerant directly cools this site. The disadvantage of these devices is that the treatment is hardly controllable. The type of refrigerant determines the temperature and the cooling time is mainly determined by the refrigerant that is supplied to the site which is difficult to control. There is also a risk that the refrigerant damages or affects more skin than necessary for the treatment if refrigerant is spilled or supplied to the wrong place.